At university, I unknowingly did a kind of atkins type thing. I was trying to get the RDA of protein, and nothing else, so I would measure out enough peanuts to get me 63g of protein (which is what I had read at the time was the RDA of protein), and then I would basically just eat those peanuts throughout the day. It was only about 200g of peanuts. I would sometimes eat a slice or 2 of bread and maybe a couple other things, but the main thing was just those peanuts... That amount of peanuts worked out at about 1100 calories, and about 20g of carbohydrate, and about 85g of fat. I did lose a lot of weight in this period of time, but I didn't know what I was doing, and look back at it and think 'whaa?' because that's not how I'd do things now... not at all

Sounds scary, I have had some dealings with atkins, i did it as meat eater and a lacto - ovo veg. I felt nasty, and gained back more than i ever lost. If you do it as a vegan, be sure to not eat too much soy, (which is what you would have to do with fake meats and fake cheeses) too much soy can really mess up your thyroid (by slowing it down and it will mess up lots of other things in your body) I wouldnt suggest anyone doing it but, good luck.

Bloom wrote:Kathryn are you a raw foodist? do you have any pointers for me. I know i have so much more evergy when i go raw. but i could never keep it up (because of my mum)but she no here now.

No, I'm not. I play with it once in a while, and this summer, I stayed high-raw for about 2 months, maybe once a week going all raw but I've gotten back into eating more cooked stuff again. I'd find it much easier to stick to raw/high raw if I had a grocery store near me that had a good selection of organic produce. There's one about 45 minutes away that is an organic paradise (almost all their produce is organic, and in better shape than the paltry local selection), but I don't have time when I'm working to go their as often as I did this summer.

When I was eating mostly raw this summer, I found it really important to keep a variety of fruits and veggies available, and to have some basic foods (like greens and avocados for salads) around at all times. I also found that reading about raw food and watching DVD's (Alyssa Cohen has a good DVD/book combo www.alyssacohen.com ) helped keep me motivated.

Happy belated birthday!

And I think it's great you're getting yourself a juicer for your birthday!
I always get birthday presents for myself, because I don't have any family any more to get me any, and I don't really get great gifts anymore like when I was a kid! Instead of feeling bad about it, I just get the cool stuff for myself!

What kind of juicer are you getting?
If it's a homogenizinig one, you can make nut buttters and banana 'ice creams" with it as well as juices.

no it's not one of them juicers. I did buy a god one, once apon a time it was a 'dampson juicer' and it was red and it was a slow cold pressing one. But when my mum left she took it with her and dais it was hers and i wont go into it but she has it now... i'm always welcome to use it tho and if i really wanted to i could take it back. But i live at uni with 3 stupid people who always question my eating habits and just dont leave me alone and make me so mad and i thought it me best i just myself a brevil juicer... the types that's lound and only juices... and anything that isnt an apple, carrot or cellery stick goes compleatly to waste.. but thats ok, it's all i need to now i think. when i get my own place i'll get my sampson back

and thank you for the birthday wishes

Proper nutrition is an art. Every bite is a brush stroke. Every swallow,a new colour. Each meal,a cloud, a tree, a flower a piece of the beautiful painting that you are becoming.